Indian Air Force

Supersession is too important an aspect of organizational existence to be dismissed lightly. It is a situation to be managed jointly by the organization and affected individual with the clear understanding that organizational interests are overriding. The Human Resources Management (HRM) approach aims to ensure that staffing manning of an organization effectively meets the quantitative and qualitative aspects at all times to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. An important element of HRM is Human Resource Planning (HRP).

The Services have been doctrinally fecund over the past decade, with each Service bidding to pursue relatively distinct campaigns, which would amount to lack of synergy and the whole failing to rise higher than the sum of its parts.

As an old fighter pilot, I would always pitch for a light, easily manoeuvrable, agile and relatively inexpensive fighter that delivers every time, generates high sortie rates and is easy to maintain and train on a day to day peace time schedule.

Whereas employing Armed Forces may appear to be an attractive idea to control the naxal menace, the adverse effects of their long term commitment, particularly of the Army, need to be understood.

Modern aerospace power is the only instrument that would give the country an assured capability to project precision fire power at great distances with or without mid-air refuelling and AWACS support and therefore, continues to remain the best instrument for deterrence and instantaneous and calibrated response to emerging threats. Whatever India decides, it cannot but modernise its aerospace power.

The defence minister is indeed correct that ‘sacrifices’ would have to be made but this time India should offer that privilege to the Pakistani Army.

In light of the build up of Pakistan’s and China’s air power capabilities, India has little choice but to complete its procurement as quickly as possible if the IAF is to be ready to face a conventional conflict.

The IAF should consider utilising the available aircraft and infrastructure at flying clubs for imparting basic training to its pilot trainees before sending them to the Kiran HJT-16.

Motivation in the IAF implies dedicated, reliable and sustained performance from the air warriors under most trying and dangerous situations fraught with risks to life. Consequently, the motivational drives and needs of an air warrior will be different from that of a worker, supervisor or manager in a civilian organisation. Motivational aspects in civilian organisations are adequately covered by research and studies. However, no dedicated study has been undertaken to assess motivational drives and needs in respect of air warriors of the IAF.

I am indeed privileged to address this gathering and share my perspectives on ‘IAF in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities’. I propose to begin with a recap of the environment and then go on to discuss threat perceptions, nature of conflicts, role of aerospace power, the IAF, its modernisation, challenges and future opportunities.